Following court order, Indianapolis security company pays $370K in back wages, damages to 215 workers after US Labor Department investigation

INDIANAPOLIS – Additional time wages owed to 215 safety professionals who patrol Indianapolis Worldwide Airport’s grounds, guard native companies, and supply round the clock site visitors management within the space had been paid following an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Division of Labor.

As required by a June 7, 2022 consent judgment entered within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of Indiana,  Safety Plus Inc. and employer Raymond Stanley paid $185,459 in wages and an equal quantity in liquidated damages to the Division of Labor for distribution to the employees. The employer  additionally paid a civil cash penalty of $69,540 for knowingly violating federal wage legal guidelines. Comparable violations by the Indianapolis firm had been present in 2018.

The court docket’s motion follows the division’s criticism filed on Might 11, 2022.

An investigation by the division’s Wage and Hour Division discovered that Safety Plus didn’t pay any additional time premium to some staff for hours over 40 in a workweek. When the agency did pay additional time, they didn’t precisely compute additional time due when staff obtained two or extra charges of pay for various jobs carried out in the identical work week. Safety Plus additionally failed to take care of correct payroll data. Their actions violated the Honest Labor Requirements Act.

In 2018, the corporate paid $98,949 in additional time again wages and liquidated damages to 158 staff. In addition they paid $25,000 in civil cash penalty for the willful nature of their violations.

“The corporate didn’t change their pay practices after our 2018 investigation and didn’t pay staff the wages they had been due,” defined Wage and Hour District Director Patricia Lewis in Indianapolis. “Employers should perceive these failures damage employees and their households by denying them the wages they depend on to fulfill their wants. These unlawful practices might harm their means to retain and recruit the employees required for his or her operations.”

In fiscal 12 months 2021, the division recovered greater than $6 million in again wages for greater than 5,300 employees within the guard providers business, ranked among the many division’s high 15 low-wage, excessive violation industries.

“The Wage and Hour Division will proceed to carry employers accountable and take applicable motion, together with litigation, on behalf of employees when their employer denies them the wages they’ve rightfully earned,” Lewis added.

For extra details about the FLSA and different legal guidelines enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Study extra in regards to the Wage and Hour Division, together with a search instrument to make use of in case you assume it’s possible you’ll be owed again wages collected by the division. Obtain the company’s new Timesheet App for android units to make sure hours and pay are correct.

Walsh V. Safety Plus Inc. and Raymond Stanley,

Case 1:22-cv-00919-JMS-MJD

United States District Courtroom Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division